Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
February’s Schedule:
Overall Record: 37-23-3
Month Record: 8-6-0
Home Record: 16-15-2
Away Record: 21-8-1
Last 10 Games: 6-4-0
Current Streak: 1W
League Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Fredrik Larsson 69
Leading Goals: Fredrik Larsson 39
Leading Assists: Anthony Mantha 40
GM's Most Impressed Award: Anthony Mantha - 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points in 14 games.
Player Stats:
Goalie Stats:
Rookie Watch:
League Leaders:
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
1st February, Detroit @ New Jersey
The Red Wings have lost 4-3 to bottom-of-the-league New Devils on the road.
Kyle Palmieri scored twice in 2 minutes mid-way through the final period to send the visitors home packing.
The Red Wings have to rue missing out on these chances – losing a 2nd consecutive game that they perhaps should win.
The Wings led the whole way until the middle part of the final period. Larkin, Veleno & Giroux all netted majors during the stage where it looked like the visitors were in firm control.
Viktor Chistov drops another game, giving the Devils only their 9th win of the season.
3 Stars of the Game:
3rd February, Detroit @ Washington
The Red Wings turn around the misfortunes of their last game & eke out a 2-0 shutout victory over the Washington Capitals.
The game remained scoreless until the 3rd period when Evgeny Svechnikov slotted the puck high over Lehner’s stick, only a minute into play.
Anthony Mantha then followed up with Detroit’s 2nd goal with 9:55 left, sealing a tight game to the visiting side.
Ville Husso earns only his 2nd shutout for the season making 25 saves.
For Ovechkin & his struggling Caps it’s back to the drawing board again, losing yet another home game. The Capitals current lose streak now moves to 10 games.
3 Stars of the Game:
4th February, Detroit @ Carolina
Detroit takes away a big 6-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, sweeping their road double header.
The Wings never looked out of place tonight, with plays working like clockwork.
It was a huge night for the Red Wings 1st line, with Giroux leading the way with a goal, plus 3 assists. Fredrik Larsson added one more to his season tally, increasing to 35 goals & finished with 2 assists. Anthony Mantha scored twice & tallied an assist for a 3 point night.
3 Stars of the Game:
7th February, Anaheim @ Detroit
Detroit’s average season at home continues with a 5-3 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks had all 5 of their goals on the board before the Red Wings finally made their 1st impact on the board, with a goal from Claude Giroux late in the 2nd period.
The Wings added 2 more goals in the 3rd period however the Ducks walk out of Little Caesars Arena with the easy win.
Justin Bailey & Nick Ritchie were the class performers in tonight’s games, both recording 2 goals each.
The Wings season record at home currently stands at 13-11-2.
3 Stars of the Game:
9th February, Dallas @ Detroit
The Red Wings slump to another big loss at home, tonight they go down 5-1 to their opponents in last year’s Stanley Cup Final, the Dallas Stars.
Husso struggled to contain the Stars who made easy work of the Red Wings defense.
Tyler Seguin led the way for the Stars, scoring twice & tallying 2 assists in the big win.
Fredrik Larsson was the Wings lone scorer, the Swedish Winger scoring in the dying minutes of the game.
3 Stars of the Game:
11th February, New Jersey @ Detroit
Detroit defeat bottom placed New Jersey 4-2 tonight at Little Caesars Arena.
It wasn’t much of a win however the Wings will be glad to take it after some previous disappointing games at home - & previously against tonight’s opponent.
Spezza, Mantha & Giroux scored during the 1st periods & after a scoreless last period, Defenseman Colton Parayko managed to score on the empty net to provide the comfortable buffer for the home team.
3 Stars of the Game:
12th February, Detroit @ Toronto
Toronto push Detroit to the shootout, however a lone Goal from Anthony Mantha gives the visitors the 3-2 victory. Giroux & Bertuzzi were the Red Wings Goal scorers in regulation.
Ville Husso was much better in front of the net with a 33 save night from the star goaltender.
3 Stars of the Game:
Red Wings to Retire no.40
Henrik Zetterberg to be honoured at tomorrow night’s game against San Jose Sharks
13th February 2023
Trade Deadline News:
Josi Traded to Detroit
Red Wings execute big trade, sending Rasmussen, Trouba, plus 2 picks to Predators for Josi & Cousins
13th February 2023
In his short time at the helm of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman has been well known for making big moves to improve the team’s defensive core, with previous acquisitions of players like Callan Foote (Tampa), Shea Weber (retired – Montreal) & Colton Parayko (St Louis).
Today is no different - in fact he may have even gone one better - with news of the Red Wings latest trade acquisition, 32 year old elite defenseman, Roman Josi from the Nashville Predators.
The Details of the Trade:
Detroit acquires D Roman Josi (32yrs, 88ovr Exact Elite) & C Nick Cousins (29yrs 77ovr Exact Top6F) from Nashville in exchange for D Jacob Trouba (28yrs, 84ovr Exact Top4D), C Michael Rasmussen (23yrs 80ovr Med Top6F), plus 2023 (DET) 1st Round Draft Pick & 2024 (DET) 2nd Round Draft Pick
The defending Stanley Cup Champions of last season are currently sitting 3rd in the Atlantic Division with a record of 33-20-3 – currently 3 points behind division leader Boston.
Offensively, the Red Wings, whilst not perfect, have been producing steadily. However defensively, the Red Wings have been prone to making poor skill errors at both the Blue Line and in the defensive zone all season, causing turnovers which has cost games from these mistakes. The acquisition of Roman Josi, the Pred’s team captain for the past 5 seasons, looks to go a long way to circumventing this issue.
“We have been missing a clutch D-man for a while. Over the past few seasons we’ve made do & managed to get by – even won the Cup. But this season, our weakness on & around the blue line has been exposed & we’ve paid in losses as a result. When I heard the Predators were interested in receiving offers for Josi I made the phone call right away.” Steve Yzerman said today during a press conference.
“Josi’s experience, leadership ability and level of nerve will help calm our defensive core when under pressure. Unfortunately this season, when our opposition turns up the heat, our players have been prone to cracking, so we’re throwing a huge ball of maturity in the ring here. I’m also excited to see what Josi will be able to do to help the team offensively as well – he has brilliant offensive instinct, has the ability to move around with the puck, he creates scoring opportunities for him & his team. This should really polish what I think is an already well tuned machine.”
“We traded away a lot of value, but I believe we got back plenty in return for Josi’s services.”
Josi, a native of Bern, Switzerland, was drafted in 2008 as the 38th overall pick by Nashville & got his 1st NHL game in the 2011/12 season & steadily built his career from there. Now a part of a new team that is a contender this season, Josi will play his 1st game for the Red Wings on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena against San Jose Sharks. It is also a momentous occasion for the Franchise when they officially retire the jersey of former captain & all-time great, Henrik Zetterberg.
Josi was interviewed at the airport at his arrival to catch his plane to his new home & was asked about his feelings on leaving:
“I’m sad to be leaving Nashville, it has been a great time here – but it’s also been sad to see a lot of my friends move on over the past few seasons as the rebuild begun here & now it’s my turn. I’ve got a new chance at Detroit & they are pushing for more Cups, this season & maybe for a few more past that. I hope to be a big part of their drive forward”
Josi is contracted for 3 more seasons past 2022/23 with a hit of $7.76M per season. Currently with the Red Wings low cap, the elite D-man fits in comfortably for possibly up to 2 seasons. Past that it will be interesting to see what the Wings do in the future when they have to try & keep their key players together.
“We’re good for now. I really don’t want to think about the headache I’ll have in a couple years – that’s future Steve’s problem” Yzerman quipped.
Also joining the Red Wings is 29 year old Center, Nick Cousins who will likely be a depth forward during his time at his new team.
Leaving Detroit is defenseman & game 7 hero of last season’s Stanley Cup win, Jacob Trouba & young up & coming forward Michael Rasmussen, who has struggled to get ice time this season.
“It’s hard to move any of this group who won last year’s Cup. You want to keep the guys together as much as you possibly can, however sometimes you need to do what you feel is best for the team’s chances to be at the business end of the playoffs.”
“Michael has a big future ahead of him – he’s only 23. Unfortunately our roster is jam packed at the top 9 & his ice-time will continue to be impacted if he stayed here. As much as it pains me to lose him to this trade, I think he will become a vital cog to the wheel that rebuilds the Nashville Predators – they just collected a great young player. I wish him all the best.” Said Yzerman on dealing away Rasmussen.
Rasmussen, who will be a Restricted Free Agent at the end of the season, was no doubt the main ticket item in the deal with the Predators, along with Detroit’s 1st round pick for this year & next year’s 2nd round pick. Jacob Trouba who has only until the end of this season of his contract remaining, could elect to test Free Agency at the end of the season.
“Yes, it was hard to move Trouba, he’s got a lot of finals experience, having won 2 Cups, but now it’s time for him to be part of a rebuild, if he chooses to stick around with them. Looking at our lineup someone had to go to fit Josi in unfortunately.” Said Yzerman.
Trade Accepted:
Roman Josi - Now a Red Wing
Nick Cousins - Now a Red Wing
Michael Rasmussen - Now a Predator
Jacob Trouba - Now a Predator
14th February, San Jose @ Detroit
The Detroit Red Wings have won tonight’s game 2-1 in the shootout over the San Jose Sharks.
Tonight had everything you could think of, from former Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg’s gripping jersey retirement ceremony prior to the game, plus Roman Josi playing his 1st game as a Red Wing after being traded, an Evander Kane goal for the Sharks with less than a minute remaining in regulation & Filip Zadina slotting the game winning shootout goal to send the crowd berserk - oh & it was Valentine’s Day too!
The Red Wings had early control of the game with Colton Parayko scoring in the 1st period on the power play putting the home side up by 1. For nearly the rest of the entire game there would be no score, until finally Evander Kane broke through for the Sharks to force overtime. When no score eventuated in overtime, the shootout commenced.
Detroit’s Fredrik Larsson was the 1st to score which could have sealed the win, however Sharks Captain Joe Pavelski then out-deked Ville Husso to tie it up once more.
Jeremy Roy missed his shot for the Sharks, but Filip Zadina found his mark, beating Jones over the shoulder to produce the win.
A great game, befitting Zetterberg’s jersey retirement.
(I think this is my 1st shootout win on NHL19 – I finally broke my drought!)
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
Zetterberg’s Number 40 Retired
Henrik Zetterberg receives the honour of having his number 40 raised to the rafters prior to game against Sharks
15th February 2023,
Last night, fans of the Detroit Red Wings were treated to something special with the official retiring, of former player & Captain, Henrik Zetterberg’s, number 40.
The Pre-game ceremony that saw ‘Hank’ walk out to centre ice one last time on the red carpet to receive the honour of having his number 40 raised to the rafters to join the other great players of the Detroit Red Wings franchise.
“I think of the great players I had the opportunity to call my teammates - some of them already up in the rafters before me. It’s those guys on this team who made me who I am, it’s those guys that gave me the motivation. It means everything & it’s been an honour, to be part of the Detroit Red Wings.”
Drafted way down the list at pick 210 in the 1999 draft, very few back then could have imagined the impact the young Swedish forward from Timrå IK would have on the Red Wings franchise & the NHL itself.
In all Zetterberg played in 1082 NHL games, amassing 337 goals, 623 assists, totalling 960 points over a fantastic 15 year career with one hockey team. In 2008 he was part of the Stanley Cup championship side that also saw him crowned with the Conn Smythe Trophy for his outstanding playoffs performance.
In January 2013, Zetterberg was named the team’s Captain, which he led through to the end of his career at the end of the 2017-18 season, then aged 38, when complications to his back - a long-time issue that had plagued his career for years - became too risky to keep playing. The fact he played for a number of season with such chronic back problems is a standing testament to his commitment & bravery to play on for as long as he did.
“Z was a great player, a great Captain of this team. He emulates to this day what it is to be a Detroit Red Wing. It is with great pleasure that we honour you in this way tonight.” Said Steve Yzerman – Red Wings General Manager, fellow hall-of-famer & former teammate of Zetterberg - during the Pre-game presentation.
With the jersey raised to the rafter & another standing ovation upon Zetterberg’s departure, the puck was ready to drop in the Red Wings game against the San Jose Sharks. The team Zetterberg played his 1st career NHL game against.
The storied franchise previously retired 8 jerseys: Gordie Howe's No. 9, Steve Yzerman's No. 19, Ted Lindsay's No. 7, Terry Sawchuk's No. 1, Alex Delvecchio's No. 10, Sid Abel's No. 12, Niklas Lidstrom’s No.5 & Pavel Datsyuk’s no.13.
16th February, Winnipeg @ Detroit
The Red Wings post 45 shots on goal but come up short with a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at home.
The game got off to the right start for the Wings, with Jeff Skinner & Fredrik Larsson Scoring early in the 1st to go up 2-0, however not much longer into the period, the Jets fought back with goals from Mark Scheifele & Samuel Poulin tying the game at the 1st intermission.
With only seconds remaining in the 2nd period, the Jet’s Bryan Little scored to put the visitors up 3-2. In the final period the Wings were relentless on offense, putting up an incredible 22 to 5 shots on net, however Calle Hellebuyck stayed firm, keeping the puck out of the net - a huge game for Hellebuyck with 43 saves under extreme pressure.
For the Red Wings, they continue to scratch their heads as to why their home ice seems to be more of a disadvantage than any real advantage this season.
3 Stars of the Game:
18th February, Boston @ Detroit
Detroit loses a 2nd consecutive game at home as the Boston Bruins come from behind in the final period to win 4-3.
It was another lead gone begging, with prior to the 3rd, the Red Wings holding a 3-2 lead. However during the 3rd period Anders Lee & then Bobby Ryan scored on Ville Husso to snatch victory away from the Red Wings.
For Boston, tonight’s win keeps them atop of the Atlantic Division standings, whilst for the Red Wings, it means they lose ground on both the Bruins & the Sabres.
The game looked to be in Detroit’s control early when the home team had a 3-1 lead, after goals from Mantha in the 1st, then Veleno & Parayko in the 2nd.
Tonight was forward, Nick Cousins’ 1st game as a Red Wing after the trade that saw Roman Josi & himself acquired from Nashville.
3 Stars of the Game:
20th February, Detroit @ Philadelphia
Detroit picks up an important win on the road tonight with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Viktor Chistov played a brilliant game in net, earning his 3rd career shutout, saving all 27 shots faced.
Fredrik Larsson opened the Wings score account in the 1st period with a one-timer, coming off a slick pass from Anthony Mantha. Dylan Larkin then followed in the 2nd period with a goal of his own to put the Wings up by 2.
The Flyers tried to rally however could not convert & finally, with 50 seconds remaining & Goalie, Carter Hart pulled, Dennis Cholowski scored on the empty net to send the final score to 3-0.
The Red Wings now head to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets tomorrow night.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
Veleno set to miss 2 weeks with foot injury
Center left ice part-way into 2nd period after rolling ankle in last night’s win over Flyers
21st February 2023
21st February, Detroit @ Columbus
Detroit sweeps the double header road trip with a big 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
Viktor Chistov got his 2nd start in 2 nights & has largely attributed to the win, making 29 saves in a great effort from the young Russian.
Tyler Bertuzzi & Kirby Dach both scored twice & Fredrik Larsson tallied his 39th goal for the season.
Blue Jackets goalie, Michael Hutchinson would like to forget tonight’s game, with the visiting Wings scoring 5 times though only attributing 23 shots on goal.
3 Stars of the Game:
23rd February, Ottawa @ Detroit
The Red Wings dreadful run at home continues with a 4-1 defeat to the Ottawa Senators.
Chistov played his 3rd consecutive game in net & it seems not even staying with the rookie in net is a good enough catalyst to get the Wings a win at home. This now marks their 3rd consecutive home game defeat.
Failure to produce scoring opportunities & an injury concern to veteran Center Claude Giroux in the 1st period is a big factor in tonight’s loss, as the Red Wings looked flat on the ice and were outshot 37 to 25.
Braden Holtby made 24 saves on his way to a win tonight & Mark Stone was a key element for the Senators success earning a goal plus an assist.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
Giroux given all clear after bump
Was parked in game against Senators as precaution. Played 2 minutes in 4-1 loss
24th February 2023
* showed in game stats that he only played 2 minutes for the whole game (wasn’t ejected either). Assumed he was injured, however upon coming back to the main screen, he was fine….
27th February, Arizona @ Detroit
The Red Wings survive a late scare to snap the home losing streak, beating league leaders, the Arizona Coyotes 3-2.
It was a better performance put in by the Wings at home with a big win over the team with the current best record in the league.
The Red Wings did still get outscored in the final period & the game got interesting with 1:32 remaining when Nick Merkley slotted a goal from in between the hash marks putting the visitors within one.
The Coyotes pulled Rask for the final minute however couldn’t convert & Wings fans everywhere breathed some relief.
Husso made 27 saves tonight in a good effort after a 3-game hiatus. Dach, Svechnikov & Skinner were the Wings goal scorers. Defenseman, Colton Parayko was a little worse for wear after a side-on collision with the boards in the final period. The Wings top d-man left the ice & returned later, only to finish his shift & go back to the changerooms & not to returning to the game after.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
Parayko injured in win over Coyotes
Wings number 1 defenseman to be rested for up to a week to nurse bruised hip.
28th February 2023
28th February, Trade Deadline
See next post for all the league trades made in the lead up to this season’s Trade Deadline
Wrap up:
This season the Red Wings have been quite middle-of-the-road & February was no exception, finishing with a record of 8-6-0 from 14 games & we are perched in 3rd place in the Atlantic. With 19 games to go & the acquisition of star defenseman Roman Josi, here’s hoping we can maintain a winning record.
Trade Deadline - The Roman Josi acquisition:
Something that has been glaringly obvious for a little while now is although we have a great group of Top-4 defensemen, we are missing another Top-2 rated d-man to compliment Colton Parayko on the 1st pairing – we needed another steady stick on the ice.
Roman Josi is one of those complete package players, he can pass the puck & set up plays, he can be physical on & off the puck. At age 32 he still has some years left to play (& a 4-year 7.76M contract, which might give me nightmares later) & he brings leadership skills from his years as the Pred’s captain – another regular feature we have been able to obtain from other players in the past & present (Shea Weber, Claude Giroux) – if not even a little bit by accident.
We gave up a lot to bring in Josi but I believe it should be worth it in the long run. Sadly we lose Trouba, however I was not confident he would have been around come Free Agency by the next off-season & we lose a young talented potential Top 6 center in Michael Rasmussen.
Michael Rasmussen, deserves a lot more ice time than he was getting at Detroit. Unfortunately he just did not fit into the lineup now or quite possibly further into the future – discounting Giroux, we have Dach, Larkin, Veleno & Athanasiou in the middle, plus a host of talented wingers, which limits his time severely. I’d like to think with the Predators he will get plenty of ice time to further develop his skills and will be an integral part of the Predators rebuild.
Our Home Record: 16-15-2 - This season has been really tough at home. If it weren’t for a spectacular away record (21-8-1) the Wings would be just making up the numbers in the middle or at the bottom this season. This month the Red Wings were 3-5-0 at home & 5-1-0 on the road. We’ve tried a lot of different ideas to turn the form at home around but not much seems to make a difference – if anything I think the players have created this cloud of doubt in their heads – maybe I need to get a Sports Psychologist back here for a couple of sessions. Anybody know the phone number of a good one?
(OoC Note on bringing in Josi - I usually don’t like using a same player from a past dynasty – as some of you would know, Josi was a key player in my Battle Cats dynasty - however he was the best fitting Top2 D-man candidate on offer in my opinion. …& meh, I like the guy.
Yes, I could have had Subban (Hurricanes) or Letang (Sharks), however they are on playoffs contending teams - it seems crazy to me that they are on the trade block right now. The Preds & Lightning are the only rebuilders with options, so I thought it more realistic to approach those teams rather than rob a good team of a good player which could flip their season on it’s head. I gave up a lot in the trade, but I feel there is worth in it. We’ll see I guess)
Injuries:
21st February - C Joe Veleno – Foot Injury – Missed 3 games, set to miss 1 more week.
27th February - D Colton Parayko – Bruised Hip – Set to miss 1 week.
Contract Extensions:
Nil
Call Ups/ Assignments:
Nil
Projected Lines – March 1st 2023, Detroit Red Wings @ Carolina Hurricanes
Season 2022/23
February Report
February Report
February’s Schedule:
Overall Record: 37-23-3
Month Record: 8-6-0
Home Record: 16-15-2
Away Record: 21-8-1
Last 10 Games: 6-4-0
Current Streak: 1W
League Standings:
Spoiler
The Players:
Leading Points: Fredrik Larsson 69
Leading Goals: Fredrik Larsson 39
Leading Assists: Anthony Mantha 40
GM's Most Impressed Award: Anthony Mantha - 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points in 14 games.
Player Stats:
Spoiler
Goalie Stats:
Spoiler
Rookie Watch:
Spoiler
League Leaders:
Spoiler
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
1st February, Detroit @ New Jersey
The Red Wings have lost 4-3 to bottom-of-the-league New Devils on the road.
Kyle Palmieri scored twice in 2 minutes mid-way through the final period to send the visitors home packing.
The Red Wings have to rue missing out on these chances – losing a 2nd consecutive game that they perhaps should win.
The Wings led the whole way until the middle part of the final period. Larkin, Veleno & Giroux all netted majors during the stage where it looked like the visitors were in firm control.
Viktor Chistov drops another game, giving the Devils only their 9th win of the season.
3 Stars of the Game:
3rd February, Detroit @ Washington
The Red Wings turn around the misfortunes of their last game & eke out a 2-0 shutout victory over the Washington Capitals.
The game remained scoreless until the 3rd period when Evgeny Svechnikov slotted the puck high over Lehner’s stick, only a minute into play.
Anthony Mantha then followed up with Detroit’s 2nd goal with 9:55 left, sealing a tight game to the visiting side.
Ville Husso earns only his 2nd shutout for the season making 25 saves.
For Ovechkin & his struggling Caps it’s back to the drawing board again, losing yet another home game. The Capitals current lose streak now moves to 10 games.
3 Stars of the Game:
4th February, Detroit @ Carolina
Detroit takes away a big 6-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, sweeping their road double header.
The Wings never looked out of place tonight, with plays working like clockwork.
It was a huge night for the Red Wings 1st line, with Giroux leading the way with a goal, plus 3 assists. Fredrik Larsson added one more to his season tally, increasing to 35 goals & finished with 2 assists. Anthony Mantha scored twice & tallied an assist for a 3 point night.
3 Stars of the Game:
7th February, Anaheim @ Detroit
Detroit’s average season at home continues with a 5-3 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks had all 5 of their goals on the board before the Red Wings finally made their 1st impact on the board, with a goal from Claude Giroux late in the 2nd period.
The Wings added 2 more goals in the 3rd period however the Ducks walk out of Little Caesars Arena with the easy win.
Justin Bailey & Nick Ritchie were the class performers in tonight’s games, both recording 2 goals each.
The Wings season record at home currently stands at 13-11-2.
3 Stars of the Game:
9th February, Dallas @ Detroit
The Red Wings slump to another big loss at home, tonight they go down 5-1 to their opponents in last year’s Stanley Cup Final, the Dallas Stars.
Husso struggled to contain the Stars who made easy work of the Red Wings defense.
Tyler Seguin led the way for the Stars, scoring twice & tallying 2 assists in the big win.
Fredrik Larsson was the Wings lone scorer, the Swedish Winger scoring in the dying minutes of the game.
3 Stars of the Game:
11th February, New Jersey @ Detroit
Detroit defeat bottom placed New Jersey 4-2 tonight at Little Caesars Arena.
It wasn’t much of a win however the Wings will be glad to take it after some previous disappointing games at home - & previously against tonight’s opponent.
Spezza, Mantha & Giroux scored during the 1st periods & after a scoreless last period, Defenseman Colton Parayko managed to score on the empty net to provide the comfortable buffer for the home team.
3 Stars of the Game:
12th February, Detroit @ Toronto
Toronto push Detroit to the shootout, however a lone Goal from Anthony Mantha gives the visitors the 3-2 victory. Giroux & Bertuzzi were the Red Wings Goal scorers in regulation.
Ville Husso was much better in front of the net with a 33 save night from the star goaltender.
3 Stars of the Game:
Red Wings to Retire no.40
Henrik Zetterberg to be honoured at tomorrow night’s game against San Jose Sharks
13th February 2023
Trade Deadline News:
Josi Traded to Detroit
Red Wings execute big trade, sending Rasmussen, Trouba, plus 2 picks to Predators for Josi & Cousins
13th February 2023
In his short time at the helm of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman has been well known for making big moves to improve the team’s defensive core, with previous acquisitions of players like Callan Foote (Tampa), Shea Weber (retired – Montreal) & Colton Parayko (St Louis).
Today is no different - in fact he may have even gone one better - with news of the Red Wings latest trade acquisition, 32 year old elite defenseman, Roman Josi from the Nashville Predators.
The Details of the Trade:
Detroit acquires D Roman Josi (32yrs, 88ovr Exact Elite) & C Nick Cousins (29yrs 77ovr Exact Top6F) from Nashville in exchange for D Jacob Trouba (28yrs, 84ovr Exact Top4D), C Michael Rasmussen (23yrs 80ovr Med Top6F), plus 2023 (DET) 1st Round Draft Pick & 2024 (DET) 2nd Round Draft Pick
The defending Stanley Cup Champions of last season are currently sitting 3rd in the Atlantic Division with a record of 33-20-3 – currently 3 points behind division leader Boston.
Offensively, the Red Wings, whilst not perfect, have been producing steadily. However defensively, the Red Wings have been prone to making poor skill errors at both the Blue Line and in the defensive zone all season, causing turnovers which has cost games from these mistakes. The acquisition of Roman Josi, the Pred’s team captain for the past 5 seasons, looks to go a long way to circumventing this issue.
“We have been missing a clutch D-man for a while. Over the past few seasons we’ve made do & managed to get by – even won the Cup. But this season, our weakness on & around the blue line has been exposed & we’ve paid in losses as a result. When I heard the Predators were interested in receiving offers for Josi I made the phone call right away.” Steve Yzerman said today during a press conference.
“Josi’s experience, leadership ability and level of nerve will help calm our defensive core when under pressure. Unfortunately this season, when our opposition turns up the heat, our players have been prone to cracking, so we’re throwing a huge ball of maturity in the ring here. I’m also excited to see what Josi will be able to do to help the team offensively as well – he has brilliant offensive instinct, has the ability to move around with the puck, he creates scoring opportunities for him & his team. This should really polish what I think is an already well tuned machine.”
“We traded away a lot of value, but I believe we got back plenty in return for Josi’s services.”
Josi, a native of Bern, Switzerland, was drafted in 2008 as the 38th overall pick by Nashville & got his 1st NHL game in the 2011/12 season & steadily built his career from there. Now a part of a new team that is a contender this season, Josi will play his 1st game for the Red Wings on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena against San Jose Sharks. It is also a momentous occasion for the Franchise when they officially retire the jersey of former captain & all-time great, Henrik Zetterberg.
Josi was interviewed at the airport at his arrival to catch his plane to his new home & was asked about his feelings on leaving:
“I’m sad to be leaving Nashville, it has been a great time here – but it’s also been sad to see a lot of my friends move on over the past few seasons as the rebuild begun here & now it’s my turn. I’ve got a new chance at Detroit & they are pushing for more Cups, this season & maybe for a few more past that. I hope to be a big part of their drive forward”
Josi is contracted for 3 more seasons past 2022/23 with a hit of $7.76M per season. Currently with the Red Wings low cap, the elite D-man fits in comfortably for possibly up to 2 seasons. Past that it will be interesting to see what the Wings do in the future when they have to try & keep their key players together.
“We’re good for now. I really don’t want to think about the headache I’ll have in a couple years – that’s future Steve’s problem” Yzerman quipped.
Also joining the Red Wings is 29 year old Center, Nick Cousins who will likely be a depth forward during his time at his new team.
Leaving Detroit is defenseman & game 7 hero of last season’s Stanley Cup win, Jacob Trouba & young up & coming forward Michael Rasmussen, who has struggled to get ice time this season.
“It’s hard to move any of this group who won last year’s Cup. You want to keep the guys together as much as you possibly can, however sometimes you need to do what you feel is best for the team’s chances to be at the business end of the playoffs.”
“Michael has a big future ahead of him – he’s only 23. Unfortunately our roster is jam packed at the top 9 & his ice-time will continue to be impacted if he stayed here. As much as it pains me to lose him to this trade, I think he will become a vital cog to the wheel that rebuilds the Nashville Predators – they just collected a great young player. I wish him all the best.” Said Yzerman on dealing away Rasmussen.
Rasmussen, who will be a Restricted Free Agent at the end of the season, was no doubt the main ticket item in the deal with the Predators, along with Detroit’s 1st round pick for this year & next year’s 2nd round pick. Jacob Trouba who has only until the end of this season of his contract remaining, could elect to test Free Agency at the end of the season.
“Yes, it was hard to move Trouba, he’s got a lot of finals experience, having won 2 Cups, but now it’s time for him to be part of a rebuild, if he chooses to stick around with them. Looking at our lineup someone had to go to fit Josi in unfortunately.” Said Yzerman.
Trade Accepted:
Roman Josi - Now a Red Wing
Nick Cousins - Now a Red Wing
Michael Rasmussen - Now a Predator
Jacob Trouba - Now a Predator
14th February, San Jose @ Detroit
The Detroit Red Wings have won tonight’s game 2-1 in the shootout over the San Jose Sharks.
Tonight had everything you could think of, from former Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg’s gripping jersey retirement ceremony prior to the game, plus Roman Josi playing his 1st game as a Red Wing after being traded, an Evander Kane goal for the Sharks with less than a minute remaining in regulation & Filip Zadina slotting the game winning shootout goal to send the crowd berserk - oh & it was Valentine’s Day too!
The Red Wings had early control of the game with Colton Parayko scoring in the 1st period on the power play putting the home side up by 1. For nearly the rest of the entire game there would be no score, until finally Evander Kane broke through for the Sharks to force overtime. When no score eventuated in overtime, the shootout commenced.
Detroit’s Fredrik Larsson was the 1st to score which could have sealed the win, however Sharks Captain Joe Pavelski then out-deked Ville Husso to tie it up once more.
Jeremy Roy missed his shot for the Sharks, but Filip Zadina found his mark, beating Jones over the shoulder to produce the win.
A great game, befitting Zetterberg’s jersey retirement.
(I think this is my 1st shootout win on NHL19 – I finally broke my drought!)
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
Spoiler
Zetterberg’s Number 40 Retired
Henrik Zetterberg receives the honour of having his number 40 raised to the rafters prior to game against Sharks
15th February 2023,
Last night, fans of the Detroit Red Wings were treated to something special with the official retiring, of former player & Captain, Henrik Zetterberg’s, number 40.
The Pre-game ceremony that saw ‘Hank’ walk out to centre ice one last time on the red carpet to receive the honour of having his number 40 raised to the rafters to join the other great players of the Detroit Red Wings franchise.
“I think of the great players I had the opportunity to call my teammates - some of them already up in the rafters before me. It’s those guys on this team who made me who I am, it’s those guys that gave me the motivation. It means everything & it’s been an honour, to be part of the Detroit Red Wings.”
Drafted way down the list at pick 210 in the 1999 draft, very few back then could have imagined the impact the young Swedish forward from Timrå IK would have on the Red Wings franchise & the NHL itself.
In all Zetterberg played in 1082 NHL games, amassing 337 goals, 623 assists, totalling 960 points over a fantastic 15 year career with one hockey team. In 2008 he was part of the Stanley Cup championship side that also saw him crowned with the Conn Smythe Trophy for his outstanding playoffs performance.
In January 2013, Zetterberg was named the team’s Captain, which he led through to the end of his career at the end of the 2017-18 season, then aged 38, when complications to his back - a long-time issue that had plagued his career for years - became too risky to keep playing. The fact he played for a number of season with such chronic back problems is a standing testament to his commitment & bravery to play on for as long as he did.
“Z was a great player, a great Captain of this team. He emulates to this day what it is to be a Detroit Red Wing. It is with great pleasure that we honour you in this way tonight.” Said Steve Yzerman – Red Wings General Manager, fellow hall-of-famer & former teammate of Zetterberg - during the Pre-game presentation.
With the jersey raised to the rafter & another standing ovation upon Zetterberg’s departure, the puck was ready to drop in the Red Wings game against the San Jose Sharks. The team Zetterberg played his 1st career NHL game against.
The storied franchise previously retired 8 jerseys: Gordie Howe's No. 9, Steve Yzerman's No. 19, Ted Lindsay's No. 7, Terry Sawchuk's No. 1, Alex Delvecchio's No. 10, Sid Abel's No. 12, Niklas Lidstrom’s No.5 & Pavel Datsyuk’s no.13.
16th February, Winnipeg @ Detroit
The Red Wings post 45 shots on goal but come up short with a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at home.
The game got off to the right start for the Wings, with Jeff Skinner & Fredrik Larsson Scoring early in the 1st to go up 2-0, however not much longer into the period, the Jets fought back with goals from Mark Scheifele & Samuel Poulin tying the game at the 1st intermission.
With only seconds remaining in the 2nd period, the Jet’s Bryan Little scored to put the visitors up 3-2. In the final period the Wings were relentless on offense, putting up an incredible 22 to 5 shots on net, however Calle Hellebuyck stayed firm, keeping the puck out of the net - a huge game for Hellebuyck with 43 saves under extreme pressure.
For the Red Wings, they continue to scratch their heads as to why their home ice seems to be more of a disadvantage than any real advantage this season.
3 Stars of the Game:
18th February, Boston @ Detroit
Detroit loses a 2nd consecutive game at home as the Boston Bruins come from behind in the final period to win 4-3.
It was another lead gone begging, with prior to the 3rd, the Red Wings holding a 3-2 lead. However during the 3rd period Anders Lee & then Bobby Ryan scored on Ville Husso to snatch victory away from the Red Wings.
For Boston, tonight’s win keeps them atop of the Atlantic Division standings, whilst for the Red Wings, it means they lose ground on both the Bruins & the Sabres.
The game looked to be in Detroit’s control early when the home team had a 3-1 lead, after goals from Mantha in the 1st, then Veleno & Parayko in the 2nd.
Tonight was forward, Nick Cousins’ 1st game as a Red Wing after the trade that saw Roman Josi & himself acquired from Nashville.
3 Stars of the Game:
20th February, Detroit @ Philadelphia
Detroit picks up an important win on the road tonight with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Viktor Chistov played a brilliant game in net, earning his 3rd career shutout, saving all 27 shots faced.
Fredrik Larsson opened the Wings score account in the 1st period with a one-timer, coming off a slick pass from Anthony Mantha. Dylan Larkin then followed in the 2nd period with a goal of his own to put the Wings up by 2.
The Flyers tried to rally however could not convert & finally, with 50 seconds remaining & Goalie, Carter Hart pulled, Dennis Cholowski scored on the empty net to send the final score to 3-0.
The Red Wings now head to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets tomorrow night.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
Veleno set to miss 2 weeks with foot injury
Center left ice part-way into 2nd period after rolling ankle in last night’s win over Flyers
21st February 2023
Detroit sweeps the double header road trip with a big 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
Viktor Chistov got his 2nd start in 2 nights & has largely attributed to the win, making 29 saves in a great effort from the young Russian.
Tyler Bertuzzi & Kirby Dach both scored twice & Fredrik Larsson tallied his 39th goal for the season.
Blue Jackets goalie, Michael Hutchinson would like to forget tonight’s game, with the visiting Wings scoring 5 times though only attributing 23 shots on goal.
3 Stars of the Game:
23rd February, Ottawa @ Detroit
The Red Wings dreadful run at home continues with a 4-1 defeat to the Ottawa Senators.
Chistov played his 3rd consecutive game in net & it seems not even staying with the rookie in net is a good enough catalyst to get the Wings a win at home. This now marks their 3rd consecutive home game defeat.
Failure to produce scoring opportunities & an injury concern to veteran Center Claude Giroux in the 1st period is a big factor in tonight’s loss, as the Red Wings looked flat on the ice and were outshot 37 to 25.
Braden Holtby made 24 saves on his way to a win tonight & Mark Stone was a key element for the Senators success earning a goal plus an assist.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
Giroux given all clear after bump
Was parked in game against Senators as precaution. Played 2 minutes in 4-1 loss
24th February 2023
27th February, Arizona @ Detroit
The Red Wings survive a late scare to snap the home losing streak, beating league leaders, the Arizona Coyotes 3-2.
It was a better performance put in by the Wings at home with a big win over the team with the current best record in the league.
The Red Wings did still get outscored in the final period & the game got interesting with 1:32 remaining when Nick Merkley slotted a goal from in between the hash marks putting the visitors within one.
The Coyotes pulled Rask for the final minute however couldn’t convert & Wings fans everywhere breathed some relief.
Husso made 27 saves tonight in a good effort after a 3-game hiatus. Dach, Svechnikov & Skinner were the Wings goal scorers. Defenseman, Colton Parayko was a little worse for wear after a side-on collision with the boards in the final period. The Wings top d-man left the ice & returned later, only to finish his shift & go back to the changerooms & not to returning to the game after.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
Parayko injured in win over Coyotes
Wings number 1 defenseman to be rested for up to a week to nurse bruised hip.
28th February 2023
See next post for all the league trades made in the lead up to this season’s Trade Deadline
Wrap up:
This season the Red Wings have been quite middle-of-the-road & February was no exception, finishing with a record of 8-6-0 from 14 games & we are perched in 3rd place in the Atlantic. With 19 games to go & the acquisition of star defenseman Roman Josi, here’s hoping we can maintain a winning record.
Trade Deadline - The Roman Josi acquisition:
Something that has been glaringly obvious for a little while now is although we have a great group of Top-4 defensemen, we are missing another Top-2 rated d-man to compliment Colton Parayko on the 1st pairing – we needed another steady stick on the ice.
Roman Josi is one of those complete package players, he can pass the puck & set up plays, he can be physical on & off the puck. At age 32 he still has some years left to play (& a 4-year 7.76M contract, which might give me nightmares later) & he brings leadership skills from his years as the Pred’s captain – another regular feature we have been able to obtain from other players in the past & present (Shea Weber, Claude Giroux) – if not even a little bit by accident.
We gave up a lot to bring in Josi but I believe it should be worth it in the long run. Sadly we lose Trouba, however I was not confident he would have been around come Free Agency by the next off-season & we lose a young talented potential Top 6 center in Michael Rasmussen.
Michael Rasmussen, deserves a lot more ice time than he was getting at Detroit. Unfortunately he just did not fit into the lineup now or quite possibly further into the future – discounting Giroux, we have Dach, Larkin, Veleno & Athanasiou in the middle, plus a host of talented wingers, which limits his time severely. I’d like to think with the Predators he will get plenty of ice time to further develop his skills and will be an integral part of the Predators rebuild.
Our Home Record: 16-15-2 - This season has been really tough at home. If it weren’t for a spectacular away record (21-8-1) the Wings would be just making up the numbers in the middle or at the bottom this season. This month the Red Wings were 3-5-0 at home & 5-1-0 on the road. We’ve tried a lot of different ideas to turn the form at home around but not much seems to make a difference – if anything I think the players have created this cloud of doubt in their heads – maybe I need to get a Sports Psychologist back here for a couple of sessions. Anybody know the phone number of a good one?
(OoC Note on bringing in Josi - I usually don’t like using a same player from a past dynasty – as some of you would know, Josi was a key player in my Battle Cats dynasty - however he was the best fitting Top2 D-man candidate on offer in my opinion. …& meh, I like the guy.
Yes, I could have had Subban (Hurricanes) or Letang (Sharks), however they are on playoffs contending teams - it seems crazy to me that they are on the trade block right now. The Preds & Lightning are the only rebuilders with options, so I thought it more realistic to approach those teams rather than rob a good team of a good player which could flip their season on it’s head. I gave up a lot in the trade, but I feel there is worth in it. We’ll see I guess)
Injuries:
21st February - C Joe Veleno – Foot Injury – Missed 3 games, set to miss 1 more week.
27th February - D Colton Parayko – Bruised Hip – Set to miss 1 week.
Contract Extensions:
Nil
Call Ups/ Assignments:
Nil
Projected Lines – March 1st 2023, Detroit Red Wings @ Carolina Hurricanes
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